Austin Might Be Playing Last Heat Game

February 17, 1998|By IRA WINDERMAN Staff Writer

MIAMI — Is this how it ends? Does the feel-good story of the Pat Riley Era end in a dollars-and-cents decision? Did the Heat do too much for Isaac Austin and leave itself in position with too little to offer to retain him?

When the Heat faces the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight at Miami Arena, it could be playing for the final time with Austin in its rotation. By the time Thursday's 6 p.m. trading deadline rolls around, the 1997 NBA Most Improved Player could be playing elsewhere.

``We'd hate to have to lose him,'' Riley said after Monday's practice at La Salle High, ``but we'll have to see.''

Because of the complexities of the NBA's salary cap, Riley is in a far more complex predicament than he would prefer. If he does not trade Austin by Thursday's deadline, he faces the almost-certain possibility that Austin would leave in the offseason for a larger contract offer elsewhere.

Why?

Because under the collective-bargaining agreement, a team over the salary cap can offer a player with only two years' service no more than the average NBA salary.

The Heat will be over the cap this offseason; Austin has only two years' service with the Heat. That means the Heat could offer no more than about $2.8 million to Austin for next season.

``It's a frustrating situation,'' power forward P.J. Brown said of losing a key teammate. ``It's really out of our hands. It's a tough situation all the way around.''

The one constant in all of sports is not losing an asset for nothing. While Riley says, ``it's not like losing Alonzo [Mourning) or Tim [Hardaway) or someone like that,'' it still is a delicate situation for Riley to handle in his dual roles as coach and team president.

What the Heat front office is weighing is the value it could receive in a trade versus the value of having Austin on its roster for the season's final 30 games.

``If I can't get something for him, I'm going to try to win,'' Riley said. ``I can make a deal right this minute for nothing. I can do that. I don't know if that's prudent.''

For now, Riley is attempting to sell the notion that Austin still could stay with the Heat as a free agent, perhaps sign a small one- or two-year contract for a potential unlimited windfall down the line.

``You're assuming he won't sign a contract with us,'' Riley said. ``You're assuming what everyone else has assumed, that Ike is not going to take $3 million a year for a couple of years. You're assuming that. If we decide to stay the course and we sit down in July, then we will make offers based on what he's done here, what we have here.''

Accepting the maximum the Heat could offer is a notion Austin, 28, has downplayed.

``Me and my agent are open to everybody, everybody's case,'' Austin said. ``But I think, all in all, we'll just make our best decision for us.''

Cloaking his response with humor, but also with the reality of how he gave Austin a chance at a time when others only turned a cold shoulder to the formerly out-of-shape center, Riley said, ``Maybe he falls in love with me again and says he wants to stay _ because he's not now. Maybe he'll fall in love with me again and love Miami and realize that this is heaven. And maybe he'll realize without that hard work and the guy pushing him, that he may never, ever be again what he should be.''

Or maybe it's just about the money, for a player who has toiled for $320,000 and $384,000 the past two seasons next to a center who has earned $9.4 million and $11.3 million these past two seasons.

``Miami's a nice situation,'' Austin said. ``I think I fit in here well. Like I said, it's just a thing of looking at our options this summer and seeing what's best for me as a player. As for my career, I think this may be my last contract, so I've got to think about it that way.''

For Riley and the Heat, the clock is ticking. There are only three days left to weigh the merits of having Austin for the balance of this season versus getting something in return with more of a long-term value.

``Everybody's assuming that he simply is going to chase the dollar,'' Riley said. ``Maybe he won't. If he does, then we lose an asset. It's happened before. It happened in Orlando [with Shaquille O'Neal) with a lot more impact than I think the loss of this one.''

Majerles featured

Swingman Dan Majerle and wife, Tina, are featured in the upcoming Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.